News

2026/07/30

Online Learning Materials to Support Research Data Analysis - Facilitating the Use of GakuNin RDM Data Analysis Functions-

　On July X, the National Institute of Informatics (NII), through the Research Center for Open Science and Data Platform (RCOS)^［*1］ and the Center for Cloud Research and Development^［*2］, published 2 online learning courses on data analysis via GakuNin LMS^［*3］, the educational platform for learning research data management. The courses were developed to support research and educational institutions in providing a stable research data analysis environment and raise students capable of conducting data-driven research. We designed learning materials to help undergraduate and graduate students acquire practical data analysis skills using GakuNin RDM, a data management platform, and GakuNin RDM data analysis function^［*4］. In addition, we published learning materials to support Principal Investigators (PIs), such as laboratory or project leaders, to connect their own data analysis environments with NII's data analysis function for advanced, large-scale data analysis.

Background and Challenges

Research and educational institutions have been increasingly introducing research data management (RDM) and analysis environments in recent years. As of June 2026, 223 institutions in Japan had adopted GakuNin RDM, NII's research data management service, while 146 institutions had adopted the GakuNin RDM data analysis function for research data analysis.
However, many institutions are still exploring effective ways to integrate and utilize these functions. Although PIs can conduct advanced, large-scale data analyses by integrating NII's data analysis function with external computing resources, many PIs do not have adequate access to the practical knowledge needed to realize this integration.
To address these challenges, NII has developed and released online learning materials through GakuNin LMS, the educational platform for sharing online courses among institutions, to support skill development in research data management and analysis among students and researchers, and to support PIs in integrating their environments to enable advanced data analysis.

Overview of the Online Learning Materials

NII published the following two online courses to help users learn to manage and analyze research data using GakuNin RDM and its data analysis function. The learning materials include a research laboratory scenario, showing how to use GakuNin RDM and its data analysis function (Jupyter) to manage research data, code, and computational environments together.

1. GakuNin RDM Analysis Function Usage Support Course for Users
   Main target users: Undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers
   Contents:
   
   • How to analyze research data with GakuNin RDM and its data analysis function
   • Procedures for analyzing research data using the above environment, together with external computing resources
2. GakuNin RDM Analysis Function Usage Support Course (for Teachers and Administrators)
   Main target users:PIs, teachers,and administrators
   Contents:
   
   • How to connect external computing resources with GakuNin RDM and its data analysis function
   • Case studies on research data succession within laboratories using GakuNin RDM and its data analysis function

Social Significance and Expected Impact

These learning materials are intended to support research and educational institutions in strengthening research data management and analysis practices and in fostering the next generation of professionals, including researchers and data stewards, with expertise in research data management and analysis, thereby strengthening the foundation for data-driven research and innovation.

Furthermore, the materials provide guidance for PIs interested in integrating GakuNin RDM's data analysis function with external computing resources, thereby advancing open science and the further development of the research data ecosystem.

GakuNin LMS

GakuNin LMS is a learning management system that provides shared educational content and institution-specific learning records for higher education institutions. It offers courses on information security and research data management. In addition to providing a common learning environment, GakuNin LMS enables institutions to create institution-specific courses for their own users by combining related learning content. This allows organizations to systematically support human resource development in areas such as research data management. For details on using GakuNin LMS, please refer to the GakuNin LMS User Support Website^［*5］.

GakuNin RDM Data Analysis Function

The GakuNin RDM Data Analysis Function is a service that provides a virtual environment for developing and running programs to analyze research data stored in GakuNin RDM. Users can easily build their own analysis environment with a single click and operate it through a web browser. Packages for Python, R, and MATLAB specified during setup are automatically installed in the environment. This function is provided as an optional feature of GakuNin RDM (application required)."

About the Research Project

This research was supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) through the "Research Data Ecosystem Development Project for Promoting the Utilization of AI and Related Technologies"^［*6］

Media Contact

Planning and Public Relations Team
General Affairs and Planning Division
National Institute of Informatics (NII)
Research Organization of Information and Systems
E-mail：media[a]nii.ac.jp